Attacked by an Orca near A Coruna

Halcyon Yachts

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We were on a yacht delivery from Tenerife to the UK. We had a quick stop in A Coruna and a few hours out were attacked by an Orca. We didn't see him at first - the rudder was just being hit and the wheel was being forced to turn. It was impossible to keep a straight course and the yacht was forced round in a circle. The rudder was rammed around 15 times and then he swam away. We were left with no steerage and had to be towed back into port by the coastguard. It all happened at around 1230 yesterday. No one was hurt, but it was a VERY scary experience. Be careful if you are in the area. He attacked us again when we were in tow!

Here is a short video that we just about managed to get before he swam away.


Pete
 

Buck Turgidson

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Someone will be along in a minute to tell you it was just playing!
Did you try playing music load? I find jazz tends to send all sea life packing. Also try switching off your depth sounder next time. Failing that a harpoon...........
 

FlyingGoose

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She did not attack you , thiscis a female due to size of fin ,she does not know how to attack your rudder to disable you, if she attacked you I would expect that one hit of her ten ton body would have snapped your rudder instantly, so 15 times as you say shows she is curious and bumping you , orcas do not attack what they cannot eat , did you make any attempt to change course to remove yourself . People need to stop using g silly words like attack,
 

FlyingGoose

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Someone will be along in a minute to tell you it was just playing!
Did you try playing music load? I find jazz tends to send all sea life packing. Also try switching off your depth sounder next time. Failing that a harpoon...........
Yes me many years studying marine mammals their habitats and behaviour, I expect the skipper is vastly more experienced sailing a boat , but I also suspect I have more experience in orcas but as this is a form full of ologies I shall bend to the greater knowledge of the arm chair warrior's
 

Halcyon Yachts

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She did not attack you , thiscis a female due to size of fin ,she does not know how to attack your rudder to disable you, if she attacked you I would expect that one hit of her ten ton body would have snapped your rudder instantly, so 15 times as you say shows she is curious and bumping you , orcas do not attack what they cannot eat , did you make any attempt to change course to remove yourself . People need to stop using g silly words like attack,

We have just had a diver inspect the damage and there are several bite marks on both sides of the hull and the keel. We couldn't change course as the rudder was smashed and we lost steerage.

I absolutely love these creatures and they are normally so peaceful. This one was angry though, or at the very least playing a bit too rough!

Pete
 

GHA

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People need to stop using g silly words like attack,
Why? What changes if from the boat perspective a huge sea beastie attacked or your anthropomorphic guess that 'oh, they're just playing'.

No one is going over the side with a rolling pin to get in a fight with one.

Can't see how any harm will come to those beautiful mammals in the change of just a word.
 

scruff

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Shall we start to see yachts sporting gert big harpoons on boats next summer when crossing biscay? Do they fall outside of UK firearms laws?
 

Buck Turgidson

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She did not attack you , thiscis a female due to size of fin ,she does not know how to attack your rudder to disable you, if she attacked you I would expect that one hit of her ten ton body would have snapped your rudder instantly, so 15 times as you say shows she is curious and bumping you , orcas do not attack what they cannot eat , did you make any attempt to change course to remove yourself . People need to stop using g silly words like attack,

You are assuming the one you see in the vid is also the one which playfully bit the yacht several times and broke the rudder.
Get over yourself man. The local marine experts do not share your expert opinion.
 

FlyingGoose

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Why? What changes if from the boat perspective a huge sea beastie attacked or your anthropomorphic guess that 'oh, they're just playing'.

No one is going over the side with a rolling pin to get in a fight with one.

Can't see how any harm will come to those beautiful mammals in the change of just a word.
Do you wonder why people are scared of sharks and hunt and kill them out of fear , shark nets to protect swimmers were the sharks drown , imagine that fear drives humans to act irrationally and stupid things happen, mass extinctions was based on fear, wolves , bears, big cats the list goes on, snakes ,spiders ,I know let's thump the spider on the head fear which is caused by language used to cause fear, like attack . We are in their habitat and the more we understand the more we can change our perception and how we deal with these situations.

This is how I live and try and educate those that do not understand why a certain animal reacts the way it is ,
Like a dog an orca does not have hands and fingers a lot of its curiosity is through its sonar. Smell.taste and mouth, if it truly wanted the boat away or eat chunks out of the boat I would suspect we would see this , your boat is just one big curious thing in the water and it is determining what you are are you a threat ,
 

FlyingGoose

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You are assuming the one you see in the vid is also the one which playfully bit the yacht several times and broke the rudder.
Get over yourself man. The local marine experts do not share your expert opinion.
I see not long before your usual rhetoric of small minded abuse comes out , what local wildlife experts marine mammal biology in which I studied and worked in is pretty uniform around the world we all agree as we all collaborate and work together but I shall humbly vow to you in you inferior knowledge of the orca
 

GHA

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Do you wonder why people are scared of sharks and hunt and kill them out of fear , shark nets to protect swimmers were the sharks drown , imagine that fear drives humans to act irrationally and stupid things happen, mass extinctions was based on fear, wolves , bears, big cats the list goes on, snakes ,spiders ,I know let's thump the spider on the head fear which is caused by language used to cause fear, like attack . We are in their habitat and the more we understand the more we can change our perception and how we deal with these situations.

This is how I live and try and educate those that do not understand why a certain animal reacts the way it is ,
Like a dog an orca does not have hands and fingers a lot of its curiosity is through its sonar. Smell.taste and mouth, if it truly wanted the boat away or eat chunks out of the boat I would suspect we would see this , your boat is just one big curious thing in the water and it is determining what you are are you a threat ,
Come off it - you really think a few sailors who have been rammed many times but actually respect and like the animals are going to start hunting them down and killing them?

And you still haven't said how you know that they're just anthropomorphically ' playing' , maybe one is just a bad apple and in a bad mood. Not that it makes any difference.
 

Buck Turgidson

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I see not long before your usual rhetoric of small minded abuse comes out , what local wildlife experts marine mammal biology in which I studied and worked in is pretty uniform around the world we all agree as we all collaborate and work together but I shall humbly vow to you in you inferior knowledge of the orca

Back up that with quotes or delete it.
 
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